Wisdom of Libya's philosopher king, by Michael Nelson

Nelson said a letter published by the Financial Times about the north African country’s last king, Idris, reminded him of a conversation he had in 1968 with British Major General Arundell Leakey, who had just retired as General Officer Commanding, Malta and Libya.

“Leakey first met King Idris when he took over the command in 1967. He told the king that he was going to make his army the most efficient in the Middle East,” Nelson wrote in a letter published by the FT on Friday.

“’Don’t do that, general,’ the king said. ‘They’ll overthrow me.’

“They did so in 1969,” Nelson added.

That was when Muammar Gaddafi, a 27-year-old junior army officer, toppled the monarchy and seized power in a bloodless coup d’état. The king was abroad for medical treatment at the time. ■